620

appears to be in force among the Javanese pilgrims, and issaid to work exceedingly well.Notwithstanding what has been done for the regulation

of the pilgrim-traffic from Indian seaports, much more, it

appears, remains to be done in regard to the overcrowdingof the pilgrim-ships ; and Abdur Ruzzack shows fully whatis further required in this respect.Among the most important of his recommendations in this

connexion, are those relating to the medical supervision ofthe pilgrimage. He would have a Mahommedan medicalofficer attached to each pilgrim-ship (forbidding pilgrim-trafficin ships of ’small tonnage) ; would establish a hospital atJeddah during the pilgrimage, and attach to it a Mahom-medan medical officer, who might also act as pilgrim-agentand assistant to the British Consul, and when the pilgrimsmove to Mecca would take medical charge of them there,leaving a substitute at Jeddah. The Mahommedan medicalofficers of the different ships, as they arrive, would be placedin charge of caravans bound for Mecca and Medina, andthey would act as a medical staff under the agent duringthe rites of pilgrimage. There can be no question whateverof the necessity for this recommendation being acted upon,and of its feasibility; and we apprehend that in regard tot he question of expense, the whole Mahommedan populationof India would be glad to co-operate with the Governmentof India in promoting a scheme which is so completely inaccord, as it would appear, with their religious teachings,and which is so obviously to be desired in the interest oftheir co-religionists.That this remarkable report will exercise an important

influence upon the action of the Government of India inthis matter can scarcely be doubted; and we trust to learnthat its author has or will shortly receive some special markof honour for the mode in which he has performed a difficultand delicate duty.

HEALTH OF LARGE ENGLISH TOWNS.FOURTEENTH WEEK OF 1880.

URBAN mortality showed a marked decline last week.In twenty of the largest English towns, estimated to contain inthe middle of this year seven and a half millions of persons,or nearly one-third of the entire population in England andWales, 6021 births and 3239 deaths were registered last week.The births exceeded by no less than 836, while the deathswere 36 below, the average weekly numbers during 1879.The deaths showed a decline of 339 from the number re-turned in the previous week, and were equal to an annualrate of 22’5 per 1000, against 21’9 and 24-9 in the two pre-ceding weeks. During last quarter the death-rate in thesetowns averaged 25’5 per 1000, against 24’2, 25’2, and 27’5 inthe corresponding periods of the three years 1877-8-9. Thelowest death-rates in the twenty towns last week were 16’9in Leicester, 17’2 in Leeds, 17’5 in Portsmouth, and 18’5 inBrighton. The rates in the other towns ranged upwards to26’2 in Oldham, 28’6 in Manchester, 28’6 in Norwich, andagain the highest rate, 31 ’3, in the borough of Plymouth.The excessive rate in Plymouth continues to be mainly dueto the exceptional fatality of measles.The deaths referred to the seven principal zymotic diseases

in the twenty towns, which had been 424 and 531 in thetwo previous weeks, were 449 last week. They included143 from whooping - cough, 112 from measles, 89 fromscarlet fever, and 41 from fever, principally enteric. Theannual death-rate from these seven diseases averaged 3’1 per1000 in the twenty towns, and ranged from 0’7 and 1’0 inWolverhampton and Brighton, to 6’3 in Oldham, 7’2 inNottingham, and 13’2 in Plymouth. The largest pro-portional fatality of measles occurred in Plymouth, Notting-ham, Hull, and Oldham ; of scarlet fever in Salford; and ofwhooping-cough in Manchester. The 16 deaths from diph-theria in the twenty towns included 11 in London and 2 inBirmingham. Six more deaths were referred to fever inSheffield, against 4 in each of the three previous weeks.Small-pox caused 15 more deaths in London and its sub-urban districts ; but no death from this disease was recordedin any of the nineteen large provincial towns. The numberof small-pox patients in the Metropolitan Asylum Hospitals,which had been 167 and 172 in the two preceding weeks,further rose to 177 on Saturday last; 42 new cases of small-pox were admitted to these hospitals during last week,

I against 31 and 47 on the two previous weeks. The Higl.gate Small-pox Hospital contained 18 patients on Saturday

. last.

. The fatality of lung diseases showed a considerable de.: cline in our urban population last week. The deaths referred, to diseases of the respiratory organs in London, which had

been 315, 334, and 395 in the three preceding weeks, delineri: again to 365 last week, and were 91 below the corrected! weekly average ; 219 resulted from bronchitis, and 103 from

pneumonia. The annual death-rate from diseases of tbii: class was equal to 5’2 per 1000 in London last week; in, Liverpool the rate from the same diseases was 6’0 per 1000.

FEES AT THE COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.

FOR some time past, as we have more than once an.

nounced, a Committee of the Council of the Royal Collegeof Surgeons has been considering the best means of givingeffect to the principle adopted by the Council about a yearago of requiring candidates who have been rejected at anyexamination of the College, to pay, on re-examination, suchfees as will cover the expenses of the re-examination. Tlit-Committee presented its report at a meeting of the Councilheld on the llth ultimo, and at a meeting held on the ?inst. the adoption of the report was confirmed. It may, how.

ever, be well to state that the proposed changes cannot beput into force until the Secretary of State has sanctioned thenecessary alterations in and additions to the bye-laws, Th"

following are the regulations relating to the payments bycandidates from the membership and fellowship.

" For the Primary Membership Examination the fee shallbe five guineas, or, if it be the re-examination of a previouslyunsuccessful candidate, three guineas; and the fee shall notbe returned to a candidate who fails to pass the examinationor re-examination. For the Final Examination orre-examina.tion the fee shall be fifteen guineas, over and above all chargefor stamps ; and ten guineas shall be returned to a candidatewho fails to pass the examination or re-examination."The fees to be paid for admission to the Fellowship by

examination, over and above all charge for stamps, shall beas follows :&mdash;(<x) for members of the College, if succeeding ontheir first examinations, fifteen guineas; but with liahihh’to higher payment (as hereinafter provided) in cases vimre-examination is required ; (b) for persons not members oithe College, thirty guineas.

" Of the above respective amounts, one-third part shallbe paid before admission to the Primary (or anatomical andphysiological) Examination ; and the remaining two-third5,together with the charge for stamps, shall be paid beforeadmission to the Final Examination.

" Of the fee of five guineas to be paid by members of theCollege before they are admitted to the Primary Examin-tion, no portion will be returned to unsuccessful candidatesbut of the fee of ten guineas to be paid by persons who arenot members, half will, in case of rejection, be returned,Of the fee of ten guineas to be paid by members of theCollege before they are admitted to the Final Examination,no portion will be returned to unsuccessful candidates; bn:of the fee of twenty guineas to be paid by persons who arrnot members, half will, in case of rejection, be returned.And in all cases any money which has been prepaid s :1charge for stamps will be returned to rejected candidates.

" Candidates who, having failed at an examination, s’sequently desire re-examination, are, on each such oeeMN!.subject to the same conditions regarding payment as thcson which they were first examined : except that in all C;l3&euml;

previous payments shall be taken into account, and that.if in any case a total payment of thirty guineas for tixFellowship has been made, no further payment shall 1>:

required." "

ST. JOHN AMBFLANCE ASSOCIATION.-On th’Linst., at the Mission Hall, Princess-street, Wapping. 11&middot;John Furley, of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem aEngland, presented certificates to the pupils who had."::of the class recently closed in the district, satisfied tl:surgeon examiner (Dr. H. Crookshank) of their cap.1bilityof rendering first aid to injured persons.